The Could-Be Presidential Pawns
With the U.S. Presidential elections about to come into full swing, any world event is going to be a point of contention. What better timing could there be for John McCain to show off his international strategy savvy than now? What better time for Barak Obama's lack of experience to show? Will McCain come off as a war-monger? Will Obama appear to be indecisive? It's certain that the situation in the Republic of Georgia will become their testing ground.
The U.S. Presidential elections aren't the only place that will be using the situation in Georgia as a trial, though. Europe and NATO have promised Georgia an eventual place at their table. Will Europe's desire for Russian oil be greater than their promises to Georgia? Does Georgia even deserve that place card while it's waging internal war with rebelling regions?
No matter how you look at the Georgia-Russia conflict, the real victims in all of this are the people. The people of Georgia and those of South Ossetia and Abkhazia will both be the losers, pawns to the greater powers trying to use them. Georgia may very well be the Afghanistan of this coming decade. Let's hope we don't repeat those mistakes.
